As sports fans, we have been spoiled beyond belief in the past 365 days when it comes to championship series. Kris Jenkins sent everybody into a frenzy when he hit a buzzer-beater against North Carolina to give Villanova a championship in college basketball. Deshaun Watson found Hunter Renfrow with one second left to beat Alabama in the College Football Championship.
In pro sports, we got to witness LeBron James finally bring a championship to Cleveland, as he promised he would, and we got to see the Chicago Cubs rip a championship out of Cleveland’s hands, winning won their first World Series in 108 years after falling behind 3-1 in the World Series. And as if that drama wasn’t enough, the Cubs did it in the 10th inning of Game 7 after a rain delay.
And then we got the Super Bowl. Tom Brady brought the Patriots back from the dead and earned his fifth Super Bowl win in the first-ever overtime championship game.
The Daily Iowan debates which championship was the best.
Super Bowl
This year in sports there were plenty of astonishing finishes to captivate fans. The Cubs ended their 108-year title drought by overcoming a 3-1 deficit against the Cleveland Indians, the Cleveland Cavaliers came back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Golden State Warriors, but none can compare to the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl comeback against the Falcons.
Super Bowl LI started off with a scoreless first quarter for both teams — something that has not happened before. Then, in the second quarter, the Atlanta Falcons scored 14 points on offense and intercepted Tom Brady for a pick-6.
At halftime, the Falcons led 21-3.
Before this Super Bowl, the largest deficit overcome was 10 points.
The Patriots started the fourth quarter down 19. After scoring a quick field goal and capitalizing on a Matt Ryan sack and fumble that led to a touchdown and a 2-point conversion, the Patriots were on their own 9-yard line, down by 8, with 3:30 left in the fourth quarter.
Brady drove the Patriots 91 yards to get another touchdown and 2-point conversion to send the game into overtime — something that has never happened in Super Bowl history.
The Patriots won the coin toss, received the ball, and scored a touchdown to win the Super Bowl.
Brady’s Patriots didn’t panic when the odds were against them; instead, they went on to complete the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, and that’s what makes this championship game better than all the rest.
— Nicholas Moreano
World Series
The 2016 World Series sits on top of all other championships this year.
The World Series was more than a trophy; winning that trophy meant ending a 108-year championship drought. It brought family, friends, and a whole city together for one goal — to see their team make history.
The Cubs made their run for the title dramatic and thrilling.
After going down to Cleveland 3-1 in the series, the Cubs pulled themselves together and pulled their way back into the mix. The Cubs finally tied the series and forced a Game 7. Then, in front of 38,104 fans, Chicago won its first World Series since Teddy Roosevelt occupied the White House.
This was made possible thanks to All-Stars such as first baseman Anthony Rizzo, second baseman Ben Zobrist, and National League MVP Kris Bryant. The World Series affected fans in a way that other championships haven’t. There were avid fans who had been waiting generations for that moment, with love of Chicago baseball passed down from grandparents to parents to children. While some loved ones did not get to witness the victory, their dreams lived on.
Through determination and hard work, the Cubs showed that this is what baseball is about: the tears, long seasons, and faithful fans.
Even as a fan of another baseball organization, I hoped and prayed that the Cubs would win. Like many others, I am a fan of baseball, and this series meant wonders to the city and fans of Chicago but it also hit home with the game of baseball.
It meant more than a trophy, and it meant everything to baseball.
— Jess Westendorf